From State Champion to National Team Trials: Lacey Abell Is Building What She’s Chasing

In this episode of the She Plays Flag Podcast, I sit down with Lacey Abell, Head Coach at Arvada West High School in Colorado and a member of the 2024 USA Football Women’s National Team pool.Lacey’s football story didn’t begin with organized opportunities. It started in the backyard in Wisconsin, moved through co-ed leagues, rugby in college, national travel tournaments, and eventually onto the USA Football trial field.We talk about:Growing up loving a sport that didn’t have much of a path for girlsEarning opportunities in adult travel flagThe process and pressure of USA Football national team trialsWhat elite evaluation looks likeThe mindset of playing quarterback at a high levelTransitioning from player to high school head coach (while still playing!)Building a program during Colorado’s rapid flag football expansionTeaching football IQ to first-generation playersLacey brings a rare perspective actively competing at the national level while coaching high school athletes who are just beginning their football journeys.It’s about growth, leadership, standards, and what it means to build something that didn’t exist a generation ago.